The Roland V-synth Resource Page

A: Synthesis (JP-8000 style sounds and much, much more), Vocoder, Sampling, and as a Multi-FX box (with audio input)! Its a very versatile machine. Some people use it as an audio processor. Some use it as an performance instrument. The expansion cards give it more functions.

Q: Is it worth it to get a V-synth today?

A: Yes. It is the most advanced synthesizer available. There is no software equivalent, even with plugins like Camel Audio in existence. None of them have such a wide array of modulation options or extensive filtering. While there may be more analog sounding and easier to use synthesizers, The V-synth line is still king until Roland creates another V-synth.

Q: Is it worth it to get the D50 card?

A: Only if you were a heavy D50 user or need to run those 80s preset sounds. The regular V-synth engine is more advanced than the D50. My opinion is that its not worth the time to become a D50 user. If you want to try it, the XT might be a better value than getting the expansion card.

Q: Can you load V-synth V2 Patches into the GT?

A: Yes, you can load XT and V-Synth V2 Patches into the GT

Q: Does the GT have the D50 expansion built in?

A: No, the GT doesn't do the D50 programs. It was available in the XT natively and by a card on the Classic V-synth (2003). The D50 card is cheaper than the Vocoder card however.

Q: Is the V-synth GT more advanced than the others?

A: Sort of, but not really. The GT has extra FX and synthesis options that do not appear on previous models. If you need the latest options, get the GT. The GT layers 2 V-synth voices with 2 master effects. However, with some midi tricks, you can get the 2003 and XT vsynth to layer sounds with some caveats.

The original V-synth has more LFO modifier knobs onboard than the GT, if you just like warping sounds easily.

Both XT and GT have color touchscreens.

Q: Roland Jupiter-80 vs. V-Synth: Which one is better?

A: The V-synth has the most synthesis options. The JP-80 has more sampled waveforms and a vastly superior effects engine that sounds better (because its newer). The downside is that the JP-80 does feel more like a "rompler" even with Supernatural technology (which was partly derived from the V-synth). If you need realistic sounds, the JP-80 is a much better option. If you like crossing waveforms together and doing granular synthesis, then the V-synth is the way to go.

Q: Does Roland Support the V-synth anymore?

A: Sort Of. The GT is still being sold and supported as of 2013.

The V-Synth 2003 and XT are no longer actively supported. You will need to see if the software will still work on your system.

The V-synth Classic (2003) Librarian no longer works on the latest version of Mac OS X (10.8). You may not need it however, as you can sort patches on the synth itself and save to the memory card / usb. I believe it still runs on Windows, but check your system version.